Penshurst Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School
High Street, Penshurst, Tonbridge, TN11 8BXOpen in maps (opens in a new tab)
Penshurst Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School is a primary school in Tonbridge for ages 4 to 11. It is one of the 692 schools in Kent. It ranks 18th of 21 primary schools in Tonbridge. Its latest Ofsted rating is Good, from an inspection in May 2013.
Ofsted inspection
Inspected 1 May 2013, report published 24 May 2013
- Overall effectiveness
- Good
- Leadership and management
- Good
What Ofsted said
From the inspection on 17 November 2022
Staff have positive relationships with pupils. This helps pupils to be happy at school and enjoy their learning. They feel that the school is a caring place and know they can talk to an adult if they have a worry. The school's Christian ethos and the leaders' ambitious drive are important parts of the school's aspiration for all pupils. Leaders want pupils to thrive academically but also to develop their personal qualities. For instance, they want pupils to be compassionate and show empathy in line with the school's mission, 'To walk in the shoes of others.' Pupils know about bullying and the effects that it has. This is because the well-designed personal, social and health education programme supports pupils to understand the impact of a person's words and actions. Pupils rightly trust that the staff would deal well with any bullying if it happened. This helps pupils to feel safe in school. Leaders have developed a purposeful and positive learning environment. Parents and carers appreciate the nurturing approach of staff, enabling their children to feel confident to try new things and do well. One parent summed up the thoughts of many parents, saying: 'My daughter loves Penshurst Primary and has really flourished since she joined.'
What the school should improve
- Some subjects are not taught as effectively as most. This means that pupils do not achieve as well as they could across the full breadth of the national curriculum subjects. Leaders should provide effective support to improve teachers' subject knowledge so that they deliver the intended curriculum to a consistently high standard.
Exam results
SATs results (key stage 2), 2024/25
12 pupils took the tests
Pupil numbers and mix
79 pupils on roll, with places for 105
Schools near Penshurst Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School
| School | Distance | Ofsted | Results |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chiddingstone Church of England School | 2 miles | Ofsted judgements: Outstanding | 87% met the expected standard |
| Fordcombe Church of England Primary School | 2 miles | Ofsted: Good | 62% met the expected standard |
| Speldhurst Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School | 2 miles | Ofsted judgements: Outstanding | 81% met the expected standard |
| Leigh Primary School | 2 miles | Ofsted: Good | 67% met the expected standard |
| Bidborough Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School | 3 miles | Ofsted: Good | 79% met the expected standard |
School details
- School type
- Voluntary aided school
- Sector
- Local authority maintained
- Age range
- 4 to 11
- Gender
- Mixed
- Religious character
- Church of England
- Nursery classes
- No
- Headteacher
- Mrs Susan Elliott Emma Hamill
- Phone
- 01892870446
- Address
- High Street, Penshurst, Tonbridge, TN11 8BX
- Local authority
- Kent
- URN
- 118720
School details from Get Information about Schools, 17 September 2026. Ofsted outcomes published to 31 August 2026. Exam results for 2024/25 from the Department for Education. Pupil mix from the school census, 2025/26.